1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to shopping cart improvements and, more particularly, to a shopping cart having a plastic basket in which the plastic basket is a generally rectangular box having a base wall, left and right side walls and a front wall connecting the left and right side walls with the left and right side walls and front wall having a plurality of generally rectangular wall openings generally having a height greater than their width excepting at least some of the wall openings on the side walls and front wall adjacent the base wall being generally square in shape with approximately equal heights and widths, the left and right side walls also including rear flange sections which extend outwards and rearwards therefrom to at least partially cover an adjacent portion of the rear frame section of the shopping cart and finally the improved shopping cart would include a basket rim support wire extending circumferentially around and passing through upper portions of the left and right side walls and front wall, with the ends of the basket rim support wire connected to the rear frame section to increase the structural strength of the plastic basket as mounted on the rear frame section and cart frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of molded plastic baskets and rear panels for shopping carts have been described in various prior art patents, for example, Badger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,411, Kern et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,313 and Rehrig, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,273,346 and 4,650,199. Each of these molded plastic baskets include various features which, at the time of patenting, were considered advanced in the field of plastic basket shopping cart design. However, the prior art still does not solve two of the major problems encountered in plastic basket design, and these are the structural integrity of the molded plastic basket and the connection of the molded plastic basket to the metal shopping cart frame on which it is mounted. There is therefore a need for an improved plastic basket shopping cart which addresses and generally solves these two prior art deficiencies.
Due to the loading and use characteristics of shopping cart baskets, the majority of stresses encountered by the plastic basket are encountered where the base wall of the basket connects with the side and front walls of the basket. The cited prior art baskets do not address the need for improved structural strength at these critical basket junctions, instead using the same grid or cris-cross formation all the way down to the base wall along the side and front walls. As the vast majority of flexing of the plastic basket walls takes place at the connection between the side walls and base wall and the front wall and base wall, it is critical that the location of the connections be structurally superior to other less critical areas of the plastic basket. There is therefore a need for an improved structural construction of the plastic basket to provide reinforcement of the connection between the side walls and base wall and front wall and base wall while still permitting the plastic basket to be molded as a single piece to keep the construction cost of the plastic basket as low as possible.
One of the other problems encountered with the plastic baskets of the prior art is that the connection of the plastic basket to the metal frame often leaves small gaps and spaces between the metal frame on which the basket is mounted and the basket itself. While in the majority of situations this does not present a problem, there are occasional times when items will fall from the basket or, more seriously, children's fingers or other extremities may become stuck between the basket and frame, and it is clear that either situation is undesirable. There is therefore a need for a basket construction which will generally eliminate the gaps between the plastic basket and the metal frame, particularly along the rear edges of the side walls and base wall to generally eliminate the loss of items stored within the cart and/or the catching of extremities in the gaps, particularly, the extremities of children.
Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic basket shopping cart.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic basket shopping cart which includes a cart base having an upwardly extending rear frame section, at least three wheels rotatably mounted on the cart base, and a generally rectangular box shaped plastic basket mounted on the cart base, the plastic basket including a base wall, left and right side walls mounted on and extending upwards from the base wall and a front wall mounted on and extending upwards from the base wall and extending between and connecting forward portions of the left and right side walls.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic basket shopping cart in which the left and right side walls and front wall include a plurality of generally rectangular wall openings extending through the walls, the wall openings generally having a height greater than their width, excepting the wall openings adjacent to the base wall which are generally square in shape with approximately equal heights and widths for improved structural strength of the connection between the left and right side walls and front wall and base wall.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and improved plastic basket shopping cart in which the left and right side walls each include generally cross-sectionally arcuate rear flange sections which extend outwards and rearwards therefrom, the rear flange sections at least partially covering an adjacent portion of the rear frame section to substantially prevent items in the plastic basket from falling out of the plastic basket through the gaps between the left and right side walls and the rear frame section.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic basket shopping cart in which a basket rim support wire extends circumferentially around and passes through upper portions of the left and right side walls and front wall, the ends of the basket rim support wire connected to and mounted on the rear frame section adjacent an upper portion thereof for increased shopping cart structural strength and improved mounting of the plastic basket on the rear frame section.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic basket shopping cart which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is safe, efficient and durable in use.